John Hopkins Spinoff LifeSprout Raises $28.5 Million

LifeSprout, a privately-held regenerative medicine company founded with tech licensed from Johns Hopkins University, announced it raised $28.5 million in Series A funding

LifeSprout — a privately-held regenerative medicine company founded with technology licensed from Johns Hopkins University — announced it has closed $28.5 million in Series A funding. With the funding, the company will support clinical development of novel therapeutic products from its Regenerative Matrix platform.

This funding round was led by Redmile Group, LLC with participation from new institutional investors Nexus Management, LP, Emerald Development Managers, LP, and the Abell Foundation.

LifeSprout’s proprietary Regenerative Matrix platform comprises biomimetic and biocompatible materials engineered to look and feel like natural tissue. And the first product from this platform(Lumina) is a next-generation aesthetic filler that combines the proven safety of hyaluronic acid with biostimulatory effects. Plus the company is developing additional cell therapy products designed to offer regenerative solutions, including treatments for patients with orphan diseases.

Key Quotes:

“We are delighted to complement the lead investment from Redmile with a strong cadre of Maryland-based and international investors. The early, visionary investments made by the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund and others made this new financing possible.”

“Cell therapies are among the most promising new modalities in medicine, yet they are limited by challenges of cell viability, delivery, and therapeutic dosing. By encouraging cell survival and natural tissue integration, the Regenerative Matrix may enhance traditional cell therapy approaches.”

-Sashank Reddy, MD, PhD, co-founder of LifeSprout

“Since closing our Seed round of financing last year, we are developing a compelling suite of products for patients with aesthetic and reconstructive needs. We’re thankful for the strong leadership of the investment syndicate in this Series A financing, and we look forward to partnering with our investors, scientific advisors, and collaborators to bring these solutions to patients.”